Jailed NGO Foreigner’s Wife Appeals For His Release

Phnom Penh: A South Korean-Australian named Kim Deborah came to Pheng Vannak to help her Autralian husband called Chan Martin King Wai, who had been arrested and imprisoned by Kandal Court.

Kim Deborah said her husband came to Cambodia seven years ago to work for a children’s ‘His International Services’ NGO in Kandal province’s Takhmao district.  

In 2015, the organization planned to build a school by contracting with a construction company, PHV.  After the contract was signed on February 24, 2015, PSV started construction and received a down payment from the organization.

By February 2016, the NGO lacked funds to continue the construction, and wrote a letter to PHV Construction Company to end the contract. However, PSV Construction decided to sue the NGO through the National Center for Commercial Arbitration.  

Following a legal battle, the National Center for Business Arbitration, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Chan Martin and the matter appeared resolved.

Later, PHV, represented by Don Kham Peng Srey, filed the case with Kandal Provincial Court as a criminal matter. And the Chancellor has arrested Chan Martin in prison.  

Many lawyers have argued that the dispute between Chan Martin’s organization and the construction company was not a criminal case, as the National Center for Commercial Arbitration, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have all stated.

Following the decision that the Kandal provincial court has made against her her husband Kim Deborah has asked the Ministry of Justice’s leaders to look into the case.  

Court documents shown in Khmer: PHENG VANNAK NEWS

UPDATE: ABC News have more details on this story